


A Day Out

by chainsawdog



Series: Order Abandoned [13]
Category: Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008) - All Media Types
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-03
Updated: 2016-06-04
Packaged: 2018-07-11 18:13:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 5,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7064788
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chainsawdog/pseuds/chainsawdog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ahsoka Tano saved Padmé Amidala's life from the bounty hunter/assassin Aurra Sing. Now the two of them are on their way back from Alderaan, Aurra Sing in tow.<br/>Padmé has been trying to make things better for the Republic; trying to stop the production of more clones, trying to improve conditions for refugees, trying to open negotiations with the Separatist Alliance and put an end to the war. Despite all her efforts, or perhaps because of them, Padmé is tired.<br/>A while back, Padmé promised to take Ahsoka along on a spa day. On returning to Coruscant, she decides to follow through on that promise. Anakin and Obi-Wan tag along, too.</p><p>Set after Assassin.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Padmé was shaken from the attempt on her life. Although Ahsoka had saved her, Padmé had once again stared death in the face. Since she had been elected Queen of Naboo, many people had tried to kill her. So far, none had succeeded.  
  
Padmé supposed she had to thank the Jedi for that, although more often than not she saved her own skin. Without Ahsoka, Padmé would be dead. Without Anakin and Obi-Wan, there was a chance she would be dead, too.  
  
Without Dormé, without Sabé; without her handmaidens and Captain Panaka and Typho… there was a list of people Padmé owed her life to.  
  
Padmé got up from her bed and walked to her holoprojector. She stood for a moment, thinking. Then she made her decision.  
  
“Padmé?”  
  
Padmé smiled at the hologram.  
  
“Hi, Sabé,” she said quietly. “How are things on Naboo?”  
  
Sabé returned the smile. The former handmaiden was now the leader of the Naboo’s standing army. Since the Battle of Naboo, there had been no reason for the planet to engage in military conflict. Still, Sabé kept the troops on their toes. Padmé had heard they were more than a match for the Republic’s clone troopers.  
  
“They’re well, Padmé,” said Sabé. “Since you stopped that virus escaping things have been well. The relations with the Gungans have settled. Our Queen is good at what she does.”  
  
“That’s good to hear,” Padmé replied. “And you?”  
  
It had been a while since the two of them had met in person. When Padmé had been Queen of Naboo, they had spent all their time together. That had led to a deep bond, then love. Sabé had been the first to know about Anakin.  
  
With Sabé’s consent, their relationship had moved forward. Sabé would have attended their wedding, but she had been occupied with her job. After the Battle of Geonosis, every planet had been on high alert. Naboo especially, as it had been their Senator who had been threatened.  
  
Since then, they had only been able to see one another briefly. The war had gotten in the way of Padmé coming home, and when she did get to Naboo it was often for politics. Padmé had Anakin, of course, but it was not the same. Her friendships with Obi-Wan and Bail Organa brought her some measure of comfort, but she did miss Sabé. They had spent their teenage years together.  
  
“I’m good,” said Sabé. “I miss you, but Sarnai keeps me company.”  
  
Sarnai was Sabé’s wife. They had met a few years after the Battle of Naboo, and since then had been inseparable. Padmé had met Sarnai a few times, and approved of her relationship with Sabé.  
  
“I’m glad,” said Padmé. “I wish I could visit more often.”  
  
Sabé chuckled. “I wish I could get to Coruscant at all,” she said. “Come and visit you in your home.”  
  
“I would like that,” Padmé said.  
  
They spoke for a while longer, before Sabé was called away from the conversation. Padmé returned to her bed, sitting down heavily on the mattress. She and Ahsoka would be home soon. There would probably be no time to rest, but she hoped for a short break. Padmé still wanted to take Ahsoka to a spa. Anakin and Obi-Wan as well, if she could get the three of them away from their duties for a day.  
  
Padmé herself was still pushing her agenda in the Senate. A bill to stop the production of clones, which she had discussed with the clone troopers themselves. The conference on Alderaan had been mostly successful. Her attempts to create safer places for refugees were coming together. It helped that Bail Organa and her friends in the Senate supported her plans.  
  
Her work with the Gossam, Xan, was progressing too. Ahsoka had met the Gossam in Coruscant’s Undercity and brought the conditions of Coruscant’s citizens to Padmé’s attention. Through Xan, Padmé had set up a soup kitchen and housing shelter. More people on Coruscant knew of Padmé now, and she was gaining popularity on other planets. She had heard rumours that certain parties wished for her to take Chancellor Palpatine’s place in the Senate. As Supreme Chancellor of the Galactic Republic.  
  
The thought had only crossed her mind once before. When she had been fourteen years old, fighting for her planet’s safety, and called for a vote of no confidence against Chancellor Valorum.  
  
‘One day, I could be Chancellor,’ she had thought.  
  
Palpatine was trying his best. The war was putting pressures on him that Padmé could not imagine. Every time she offered to help him, however, he told her not to worry. He claimed that he and Mas Amedda had everything under control.  
  
“We have more than enough help, Padmé,” he would say. His tone was always genial with her. It reminded her how much he had helped her during her reign. “You have your own troubles to focus on.”  
  
He was close to Anakin, too. Palpatine treated Anakin like his own son, for which Padmé was grateful. Anakin needed all the friends he could get. Only Obi-Wan didn’t trust the Chancellor, and that was probably because he had a deep seated mistrust of all politicians. Except for herself, of course. He was coming to trust her more, now that they could speak openly to one another. Obi-Wan also seemed to have formed a tentative friendship with Bail Organa.  
  
Bail had been of great help on Padmé’s mission to Alderaan, and it had been wonderful to visit Breha. Yet all of Padmé’s time lately seemed to be occupied with work. There was always some crisis, some problem that needed solving.  
  
Padmé didn’t mind the work but she could see a hundred ways to improve the Republic and it frustrated her to no end that no one seemed to listen. She knew the war could be ended with diplomacy if people were willing to try. There was too much fear, and Padmé knew the only way to still that fear would be to open negotiations with the Separatist Alliance.  
  
It had crossed her mind before that she should reach out to her friends in the Alliance. Before the schism, Padmé had learned much from the Senator of Onderon, Mina Bonteri. In fact, Padmé considered Mina her mentor. Since the war, however, Padmé had fallen out of touch with her friend.  
  
Maybe it was time to get back in touch. Especially if Count Dooku had spoken the truth to Obi-Wan on Geonosis. If there truly was a Sith Lord controlling the Republic, then everything from the farthest Outer Rim planet to the most powerful Jedi in the core systems was at risk. At least, that was what Anakin and Obi-Wan had told her.  
  
They had two leads; one was Count Dooku, leader of the Separatist Alliance, former Master of Qui-Gon Jinn. As he was once a Jedi, it was possible that he had turned to the dark side. However, if this Sith was in control of the Republic, they would have to be on Coruscant to influence political on goings.  
  
That led to Padmé’s second suspect; the Chagrian Vice Chair, Mas Amedda. He was quiet and unassuming, and Padmé would not have suspected him if Anakin hadn’t seen a Chagrian sneaking around Club Kasakar. That night, Anakin had overheard a conversation that had sparked the interest of both Padmé and Obi-Wan.  
  
Padmé thought that she knew who her allies were, but she couldn’t risk speaking with anyone, only Anakin and Obi-Wan. None of them were willing to drag Ahsoka into the mess. The less she knew about this conspiracy the safer she was.  
  
Padmé sighed and lay back on her bed. They would be on Coruscant soon enough. Anakin would be eager to see her. No doubt Ahsoka would be looking forward to telling Anakin what had happened on Alderaan.  
  
Closing her eyes, Padmé decided that if they got the time, she would treat Ahsoka to a break. A while ago, she had suggested they spend a day at a spa on Coruscant. Ahsoka had reacted with confusion, and less enthusiasm than Padmé had hoped for. Still, she knew that Anakin was interested in finding out what happened at a spa, and Anakin would happily drag Obi-Wan along with him. Padmé hoped they could all find the time to relax together.


	2. Chapter 2

Ahsoka and Bail accompanied Padmé from the ship once they landed on Coruscant. Yoda and Anakin waited for them. Anakin had to restrain himself. He wanted to rush forward, pull Padmé into his arms and tell her how worried he’d been. He wanted to kiss her hand, ask how her arm felt – she wore it in a sling, which caused his throat to tighten. He wanted to hug Ahsoka, spin her around and thank her for keeping his wife safe.  
  
With Yoda there, however, he had to act the Jedi.  
  
They watched as Aurra Sing was escorted past them. Anakin felt a surge of pride – _his_ Padawan had captured the dangerous bounty hunter, all on her own.  
  
“Are you all right?” Anakin asked, turning to Padmé.  
  
Padmé smiled gently. “Without Ahsoka’s foresight, I think things would have gone quite differently.”  
  
Yoda moved forward to speak. Despite his tiny stature, the Jedi Master had a commanding presence. Anakin crossed his arms, watching.  
  
“Served you well, your visions have,” Yoda said, addressing Ahsoka.  
  
Ahsoka bowed her head respectfully. “Thank you, Master Yoda,” she said. “But we still don’t know who’s really behind this.”  
  
Only Anakin could hear the worry in her voice. He scowled, wondering briefly why none of the Jedi seemed to take his visions seriously.  
  
Yoda regarded her for a moment. “Concentrate,” he said. “Remember. What do you see?”  
  
Anakin and Padmé turned to Ahsoka, watching as she closed her eyes. The girl frowned, breathing deeply.  
  
“I… I see… shapes,” Ahsoka said. “Large. Devouring…” her frown deepened. “I hear… laughter. Bizarre laughter. And… purple? I see a colour. Purple.” She opened her eyes, and raised an eyebrow, looking between Padmé and Anakin. “I don’t know what it means,” she said. “None of it is familiar to me.”  
  
Padmé shared a look with Anakin. “It is to me,” she said. “I’ve been thinking. Aurra Sing said the person who’d hired her wanted revenge for something I’d done to them.”  
  
With slight amusement in his voice, Anakin commented, “That could be a lot of people.”  
  
Padmé smiled. “Yes,” she said. “But with Ahsoka’s added details, I know someone who fits the description.”  
  
The three of them shared a look.  
  
Padmé turned to address Yoda. “I believe Ziro the Hutt is behind this attack,” she said evenly.  
  
Yoda stroked his chin. “Send Skywalker and Padawan Tano, I will. Interrogate him, you must.”  
  
Yoda and Bail left, giving Anakin, Ahsoka, and Padmé a moment together. Anakin risked squeezing Padmé’s shoulder, saying, “I’m so glad you’re safe.”  
  
Padmé touched his hand gently.  
  
He turned to Ahsoka, and surprised them both by pulling her into a hug. “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Snips,” he said. There were tears in his eyes. “I’m so, so proud of you.”  
  
Ahsoka pushed him away after a moment, looking up at his face. She smiled, a little puzzled at his display of affection.  
  
“We’re all okay, Ani,” Padmé said. “You two should go speak with Ziro. I’m going to head home.” She smiled at him, wishing that she could kiss him on the cheek. Turning to Ahsoka, she added, “I’m grateful for your help, Ahsoka. I’ll see the two of your later. Good luck.”


	3. Chapter 3

Padmé sank into her couch with a sigh. Her arm ached, and she wanted nothing more than to sleep. She wanted Anakin by her side, to help her feel safe. There was only so much she could do for herself. He had a wild presence, but she had never been afraid of him. She knew he would do anything for her – and she would do the same.  
  
Threepio brought her her a glass of water, and she accepted it gratefully.  
  
“Could you move some of my meetings tomorrow to a later date?” she asked.  
  
“Of course, Mistress Padmé,” said Threepio. “The day after?”  
  
Padmé nodded. “After you do that, could you contact Obi-Wan? I wish to speak with him.”  
  
It wasn’t long before she held a holoprojector in her palm, looking down at the Jedi Knight. He stood with his hands behind his back, dressed in a simple tunic and leggings. It looked as if he had been training.  
  
“Senator Amidala,” he said. “I wasn’t expecting a call from you. Have you returned with Ahsoka, then?”  
  
Padmé nodded. “She and Anakin are currently speaking with Ziro the Hutt, who I believe is behind the most recent attempt on my life.”  
  
Obi-Wan regarded her. Then, “What did you want to speak to me about?”  
  
Padmé smiled at him. “I was hoping to borrow you, Anakin, and Ahsoka tomorrow.”  
  
“Do you need Jedi assistance, Senator?”  
  
“Are you alone, Obi-Wan?” she asked. He nodded. “Then I can speak freely. No, I don’t need any assistance, but I thought it might be nice if we all spent some time together.”  
  
“Do you have something in mind, Padmé?”  
  
“I believe I do,” she replied with a grin.


	4. Chapter 4

The four of them stood outside a large building in one of the more affluent districts of Coruscant’s upper levels. Padmé had briefed them on their mission, but Ahsoka still felt uneasy. She shared a look with Obi-Wan behind Anakin and Padmé’s backs. Anakin was bouncing on the balls of his feet, ready to race ahead of the group and face whatever lay inside.  
  
“I don’t know why you’re so excited,” Ahsoka commented.  
  
Anakin looked at her side-on, a smile on his face. “Come on,” he said. “Aren’t you curious?”  
  
Ahsoka wrinkled her nose. Padmé reached out and took Ahsoka’s hand in hers, squeezing it.  
  
“If you’re uncomfortable at all, we can go do something else,” she offered.  
  
Ahsoka shook her head. “I’ll be fine,” she said. If it would make Padmé happy, it was worth the effort.  
  
Anakin draped an arm across Obi-Wan’s shoulders and kissed him on the cheek.  
  
“You need to relax,” he said.  
  
“Anakin,” Obi-Wan chided, but he was smiling, and didn’t move from Anakin’s embrace.  
  
“Are we ready?” Padmé asked.  
  
Ahsoka glanced at her, and nodded. Obi-Wan looked at the building, his expression unreadable. Anakin laughed.  
  
“No time like the present,” he said.  
  
Padmé and Ahsoka walked hand-in-hand to the door. A luxury droid held it open for them, beckoning them inside. Obi-Wan and Anakin followed, Anakin nuzzling Obi-Wan’s jaw and nearly running him into the droid.  
  
“Gross!” Ahsoka said, pulling a face at them.  
  
Anakin grinned back, sticking his tongue out at her. She rolled her eyes and followed Padmé to the counter.  
  
“Welcome to the Golden Emperor Day Spa,” the droid at the counter greeted them. Anakin moved behind Padmé, wrapping his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her head. “How may we help you?”  
  
“I have a booking, Naberrie?” Padmé said, leaning forward to try and see the computer screen.  
  
“Ah, yes,” said the droid. “Sola? For four?”  
  
Padmé nodded. She’d used a fake name so that none of the Senators would find out she’d visited the spa with three Jedi.  
  
“This way, please,” the droid gestured for the four of them to follow another droid, who led them through a doorway and into a white corridor.  
  
“This feels suspicious,” Ahsoka whispered to Padmé. Padmé simply smiled at Ahsoka, who sighed.  
  
The droid took them to the changing rooms, and they separated to change from their day clothes into fluffy dressing gowns. Anakin left his prosthetic in the changing room locker, as he was advised. While it was water resistant, the arm wasn’t waterproof.  
  
When they were ready, the droid led them through the hallways to a large, high-ceilinged room. There was a gargantuan bath in the centre of the floor, and people of all species were soaking in the hot, scented water. Padmé handed her dressing gown to the droid, showing off her multi-coloured bikini. She glanced at Anakin over her shoulder as she entered the bath.  
  
“You’re drooling,” Ahsoka commented, as she followed Padmé into the bath. She was dressed neck-to-knee in dark swimmers.  
  
Anakin closed his mouth and tore his eyes away from his wife, only to be distracted by Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan was wearing shorts, and showing off a considerable amount of skin. Anakin didn't even give a thought to his own scarred body, which he was sometimes self-conscious about.  
  
“Anakin, really,” said Obi-Wan, as he gave the droid his dressing gown. “You’re acting like a teenager.”  
  
Anakin shrugged his gown off, and followed Obi-Wan into the water. The four of them found a step to sit on, Ahsoka resting her arms on the wall behind her. Padmé cuddled up to Anakin, resting her head on his shoulder. Anakin kicked his legs in the water, looking around at the other patrons of the spa. Obi-Wan folded his arms across his chest as he noticed an Askajian eyeing him. When Anakin realised, he pulled Obi-Wan to him with his left arm, kissing his cheek and staring down the Askajian.  
  
“Do you want me to leave you alone?” Ahsoka asked dryly.  
  
“Ani, behave yourself,” Padmé said. “We’re in _public_.”  
  
Anakin grinned, rolling his head to the side to kiss Padmé on the forehead. Ahsoka rolled her eyes, making a disgusted noise, but she couldn’t hide her smile. Everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves, even Obi-Wan. Anakin could definitely tone down his affection, but it was nice to see him happy.  
  
“So what do we do after this?” Ahsoka asked, glancing at Padmé.  
  
The heat of the water was relaxing, and there was a comforting blend of scents. She took a deep breath in, and closed her eyes, listening to the sound of the water. It wasn’t too loud in the room, despite the acoustics. With Padmé, Anakin, and Obi-Wan, Ahsoka felt safe.  
  
“We’re getting massages,” said Padmé. “Manicures, pedicures, exfoliation… the whole package.”  
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Ahsoka saw Anakin whisper something to Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan raised an eyebrow at him. Anakin grinned, and Obi-Wan smacked Anakin’s chest.  
  
“Stop it,” Padmé warned. “If we get kicked out of here because of you, Anakin, I will never forgive you.”  
  
Anakin stuck his bottom lip out in a pout, and Padmé raised an eyebrow. He huffed.  
  
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll behave.”  
  
“You’d better,” Padmé said sternly.  
  
“I love you,” Anakin said, amusement clear in his tone. He leaned over to kiss her on the cheek, and she pushed him away, laughing.  
  
Ahsoka wrinkled her nose, looking away. It was hard not to feel like she wasn’t supposed to be there.  
  
“Is everything okay?” Padmé asked.  
  
Ahsoka smiled at Padmé. “Yeah,” she said. Tilting her head at Anakin, she added, “Anakin’s being weird, though.”  
  
“Hey!” Anakin said. He splashed water at Ahsoka, and she splashed him back, Padmé putting her hands up to stop them from splashing her.  
  
“Anakin!” Padmé said. “Stop it!”  
  
“She started it,” Anakin replied, then shrank back as Padmé glared at him.  
  
“You’re _supposed_ to be an _adult_ ,” Padmé continued. She glanced at Obi-Wan, who was pretending not to notice the goings-on.  
  
“I’m sorry if I splashed you,” Ahsoka said to Padmé.  
  
Padmé touched Ahsoka’s shoulder, squeezing it. “It’s okay,” she said. Then she turned back to Anakin. “ _You_ promised to behave.”  
  
“I am!” Anakin protested.  
  
“I don’t want to have to take care of you while I’m supposed to be relaxing,” Padmé commented, leaning back against the wall.  
  
“I’m sorry,” he said.  
  
She squeezed his thigh with her hand and smiled at him. “No more splashing,” she said.  
  
“No more splashing,” he agreed.


	5. Chapter 5

An attendant gave them back their dressing gowns when they left the bath. The four of them were then escorted to a hallway with doors evenly spaced down either side. Ahsoka pricked her montrals, unsure of her safety. There were four Besalisk waiting for them.  
  
“What are they doing?” Ahsoka asked Padmé.  
  
“They’re masseuses,” said Padmé. She glanced at Ahsoka. “Are you okay with a massage?”  
  
Ahsoka shrugged one shoulder. “I guess,” she said.  
  
Anakin and Obi-Wan had already vanished into one of the rooms with two of the Besalisk, so Padmé and Ahsoka took the other available room. The room had a dark red carpeted floor, and wood-panelled walls. Candles burned in the corners, filling the room with a sweet scent. In the middle of the floor were two table-beds, which Ahsoka eyed suspiciously.  
  
Music played from a speaker on the wall. Ahsoka assumed it was supposed to be relaxing, but she just found it distracting. The Besalisks told Padmé and Ahsoka to lay face-down on the beds, and Padmé followed the instructions immediately. Ahsoka hesitated.  
  
“Ahsoka, it’s okay,” said Padmé. “You can tell them to stop anytime, if you’re uncomfortable.”  
  
With a sigh, Ahsoka slumped her shoulders. She walked over to the free bed, and lay down, resting her face inside the gap at the head of the bed. Not sure what to do with her hands, she placed them on either side of her face. Padmé was already chatting with her masseuse, and Ahsoka hoped she wouldn’t have to talk to hers.  
  
“Are you comfortable?” the masseuse asked.  
  
Ahsoka nodded. She took a deep breath in, and tried to relax.


	6. Chapter 6

In the other room, Anakin was trying to convince Obi-Wan that it was fine if he relaxed for one day. The masseuses waited patiently as Anakin explained to Obi-Wan that he was already here, and he might as well take advantage of the fact. Anakin could sense the guilt rising in Obi-Wan, and wished there was something more he could do. With a pointed look at Anakin, Obi-Wan lay down, and Anakin waited a moment before following suit.  
  
Truthfully, Anakin was nervous himself. Usually he took offence to certain people touching him, and he wasn’t sure how he would react to a massage. When the Besalisk began kneading at his shoulders, Anakin tensed.  
  
“Relax, Anakin,” he heard Obi-Wan say.  
  
“Very funny,” Anakin replied.  
  
It was difficult to talk with his head in the strange hole on the bed. Of course Obi-Wan could sense his feelings. It was one thing to be able to sense Anakin’s feelings, and another to choose to acknowledge them.  
  
Obi-Wan was getting better at that, but it would take him a long time to unlearn what he’d been raised to believe. It frustrated Anakin, sometimes, because he couldn’t understand how Obi-Wan could pretend that his emotions didn’t exist. Anakin could sense them. They were more muted than his own, but they were there.  
  
“Are you enjoying yourself?” Obi-Wan asked.  
  
The Besalisk’s fingers dug into Anakin’s back, and he grunted.  
  
“Too hard?” they asked.  
  
“It’s fine,” Anakin answered.  
  
This was one of the strangest sensations that Anakin had experienced. He could feel pain in his muscles, but it was lessening as the Besalisk worked on them.  
  
“You’ve got a lot of knots in your back,” the Besalisk commented. “Do you get headaches a lot?”  
  
“Yeah?” said Anakin. “What does that have to do with my back?”  
  
“Tension in your muscles can affect other parts of your body,” the Besalisk explained. “If you have back problems, that can lead to headaches. Are you under a lot of stress?”  
  
Anakin laughed. “You could say that,” he said.  
  
“Anakin…” Obi-Wan warned.  
  
“It’s a good thing you came here, then,” the masseuse said.  
  
Anakin grunted as their fingers found a large knot in Anakin’s back. He closed his eyes tightly, and took a deep breath in. When he breathed out, he felt himself relax. Then he opened his eyes, and turned his head to look at Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan’s hand was outstretched, and he was facing Anakin, his eyes shut. Obi-Wan was soothing him with the Force. Anakin felt warm, his heart aching with love. He closed his eyes, turned his head back to the bed and let himself relax.


	7. Chapter 7

“This feels weird,” Ahsoka said, loud enough for Padmé to hear.  
  
Padmé sighed, feeling more relaxed than she had in a while.  
  
“I can stop, if you’d like,” the masseuse said.  
  
Ahsoka thought for a moment. “No,” she grumbled. “It’s not that weird.”  
  
“Is it relaxing?” Padmé asked.  
  
“Yeah,” said Ahsoka.  
  
“Okay,” said Padmé’s masseuse. “Turn over.”  
  
Padmé did as she was told, staring up at the ceiling. She heard Ahsoka do the same. The masseuse worked on her arms and hands, and Padmé felt stress leaving her like a retreating wave. She was hoping that Ahsoka was feeling the same way.  
  
Ahsoka was feeling more relaxed, until the Besalisk’s hands moved to her face. She scrunched her nose and said, “Nope, no thank you,” and the Besalisk paused.  
  
“No?” they said.  
  
“I’m good,” Ahsoka replied. “Please don’t touch my face.”  
  
The masseuse moved away, and Ahsoka sat up. Her legs dangling off the side of the bed, she waited for Padmé to finish. The Besalisk massaged Padmé’s face, and Ahsoka watched with a crooked mouth and a frown. Yes, the massage had loosened her muscles, but she still wasn’t sure why people would deliberately subject themselves to this frequently.  
  
Padmé let out a deep breath, sitting up and smiling at Ahsoka. “Did you enjoy that?”  
  
Not wanting to seem ungrateful, Ahsoka smiled back, her fangs showing. “Yeah!” she said. “Uh… what are we doing next?”  
  
“Manicures and pedicures,” Padmé said, standing up. “What colour would you want your nails?”  
  
They put their dressing gowns back on, then Ahsoka followed Padmé into the corridor and crossed her arms. The door to the room where Anakin and Obi-Wan had been was open, and they were nowhere to be seen. Padmé sighed, and pinched the bridge of her nose.  
  
“Where are they?” Ahsoka asked.  
  
“I… I don’t know where they are,” Padmé said quietly. She had an idea of what they were doing, but she didn’t need to share that with Ahsoka. “We’ll go on to the next thing and they’ll find us. Hopefully.”  
  
“If they don’t get kicked out,” Ahsoka replied with a grin.  
  
Padmé covered her mouth with her hand as she giggled. “Ahsoka!” she said. “I’m sure they’re just…”  
  
Ahsoka raised an eyebrow.  
  
“Just…”  
  
“You can’t think of an excuse for them, can you?” Ahsoka laughed.  
  
Padmé glanced away, still smiling. “Let’s go get our nails done!” she said, catching Ahsoka’s hand in hers.


	8. Chapter 8

Another luxury droid led Padmé and Ahsoka from the massage rooms to another space, with plushy looking chairs lined up against the wall. There were white tables in the middle of the room, too, with strange boxes on top. In front of the chairs were basins of water. Ahsoka raised an eyebrow at Padmé, who beckoned for Ahsoka to enter the room.  
  
Ahsoka decided it would be safe to copy Padmé. They both sat down in the chairs with the basins at their feet. Padmé put her feet in the warm, soapy water, so Ahsoka followed suit. Obi-Wan and Anakin were still missing, but that was their loss.  
  
“What are we doing?” Ahsoka whispered.  
  
A blue-skinned, red-eyed Chiss and a white-haired Ryn entered the room. The Ryn seemed to hear, and looked at Ahsoka with a smile.  
  
“Once you’ve soaked your feet we’ll scrub them, and then work on your nails,” they said.  
  
“So… we get to choose the colours, right?” asked Ahsoka.  
  
The Ryn nodded. “We have a selection for you to choose from.”  
  
Ahsoka wriggled in her seat. Looking at Padmé she asked, “What colours are you gonna get?”  
  
Padmé pursed her lips. “I think red, for my toenails,” she replied. “And I was considering purple for my hands. What do you think?”  
  
Ahsoka tapped her feet, stirring the water. “Uh…” she said. “I like green?”  
  
Padmé smiled brightly at her. “You could get different greens if you wanted.”  
  
“I could,” Ahsoka agreed.  
  
After letting Padmé and Ahsoka soak their feet for a while, the Ryn and the Chiss knelt before them. The Chiss took a gentle hold on Ahsoka’s left foot and brought a black file to her heel.  
  
“Um,” Ahsoka turned to look at Padmé. “What’re they doing?”  
  
“They’re filing our feet,” said Padmé. “To get rid of dead skin.”  
  
Ahsoka frowned. “But skin’s supposed to stay on the body. Why would people do this?”  
  
The Chiss looked up at her. “I can skip this step if you want,” they offered.  
  
Ahsoka shook her head, her silka beads swinging. “It’s okay,” she said. “You know what you’re doing.”  
  
She kept herself still as the Chiss filed her heels, grateful the sensation didn’t tickle her feet. Padmé chatted amicably with the manicurists and Ahsoka leaned back in her chair. Once the Chiss finished filing her feet, they scrubbed her feet with a mint scented cream. They let Ahsoka put her feet back in the basin and wash the cream off. Then they filed her toenails, rounding the edges. When they put little foam things between her toes, Ahsoka looked down to make sure they were doing the same with Padmé’s feet.  
  
“What colour would you like?” the Chiss asked.  
  
“Green, thank you,” said Ahsoka.  
  
The Chiss took a little bottle of nail polish and held Ahsoka’s foot still, and started painting her toenail. Ahsoka watched closely, curious. As a Jedi, Ahsoka had never been pampered. Sometimes she’d painted her own nails, and sometimes she’d painted Anakin’s, but they’d never made a day of it. The Chiss was gentle, and knew what they were doing. It was a lot less messy than Anakin’s attempts at painting.  
  
Ahsoka definitely felt more relaxed than she had before. It was strange, having so much attention paid to her. She had to resist the urge to wiggle her toes as the Chiss painted them. With a sigh, she leaned her head back again and listened to Padmé chat with the Ryn and the Chiss.


	9. Chapter 9

Anakin and Obi-Wan arrived as Padmé and Ahsoka finished their pedicures. They were moving to sit at a table for their manicures when the boys entered the room. Anakin had a goofy smile on his face, and Obi-Wan’s hair was messy. Ahsoka grinned at him, and he went red.  
  
“Did you two have fun?” Padmé asked.  
  
“We…” Obi-Wan struggled to speak.  
  
“We got lost,” said Anakin. They took seats at the table, Anakin kissing Padmé on the cheek as he sat next to her. “What did we miss?”  
  
Ahsoka wiggled her toes, even though no one could see them. “We got pedicures,” she said. “I can’t believe you two missed out on that.”  
  
“We found a way to pass the time,” said Anakin. Obi-Wan kicked him under the table.  
  
The Chiss who had painted Ahsoka’s toes left the room to fetch two other manicurists. The Ryn started to work on Padmé’s hands, shaping her nails with a file. A moment later, Ahsoka, Anakin, and Obi-Wan had manicurists in front of them, working on their nails. Anakin and Ahsoka sat as still as they could; Anakin wanting to bother Obi-Wan, and Ahsoka getting restless from sitting still for so long.  
  
When it was over, Anakin happily showed off the pale blue nail polish he’d chosen. He took Padmé’s hand in his to examine her purple nails, smiling. He kissed her knuckles, and Ahsoka poked him in the side.  
  
“What?” he asked.  
  
She showed him her fingers, and said, “What do you think of this green?”  
  
“Very nice,” he replied, putting his hands on his hips. “But not as good as the blue I chose.”  
  
“Of course, Skyguy,” Ahsoka said, trying not to smile.  
  
Obi-Wan had chosen clear nail polish, to Anakin’s disappointment.  
  
“I don’t need people asking questions about where we’ve been,” Obi-Wan said. “I get enough of that already.”  
  
Anakin slung his arm across Obi-Wan’s shoulders, and kissed his cheek. Ahsoka rolled her eyes with a fond smile. She linked arms with Padmé and Padmé led the way through the halls of the spa and back to the changing rooms. Ahsoka was glad to be back in her day clothes and out of her swimmers, even if she didn’t have her lightsabers with her. She would be glad to see Anakin and Obi-Wan in their civvies again. It had been kind of weird seeing them in their swimmers. She wasn’t sure she ever wanted to experience that again.  
  
When she met Padmé outside the changing rooms, Padmé asked her, “Did you enjoy yourself, Ahsoka?”  
  
Ahsoka nodded, smiling. “It was pretty nice,” she said. “I don’t know if I’d come back but I had a good day. I nearly forgot there was a war on.”  
  
Padmé took Ahsoka’s hand in hers and squeezed it. They were joined by Anakin, then Obi-Wan, and the four of them left the spa together. Padmé would return to her apartments; Anakin, Ahsoka, and Obi-Wan would return to the Temple. The war would continue, and the four of them would play their parts as best they could.


End file.
